Communication device, communication adaptor, communication system, communication parameter response method, and program

Abstract

A data storage of a communication device stores a communication parameter. A communication parameter responder of a controller, upon receipt from a control device, via a communicator, of a communication parameter request-command indicating a communication parameter request, reads and acquires the communication parameter stored in the data storage. The communication parameter responder generates a response command containing the acquired communication parameter and sends the response command to the control device via the communicator.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A home appliance including a communication interface, comprising:
 a storage configured to store a communication parameter corresponding to a regular command to the home appliance from a control device, the communication parameter being used for determining by the control device a specification for communication with the home appliance; and 
 processor configured to
 responsive to each time the regular command is received by the home appliance from the control device,
 execute, at the home appliance, a processing corresponding to a home appliance operation state change or a home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command to the home appliance, 
 learn, at the home appliance, a response time corresponding to the home appliance by measuring, in parallel with the processing, an amount of time that elapses from when the regular command is received by the home appliance until a response corresponding to the regular command is completed by the home appliance indicating that the home appliance has executed the processing corresponding to the home appliance operation state change or the home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command, and save the response time, as the communication parameter, to the storage; and 
 
 upon receipt by the home appliance from the control device of a communication parameter request-command, the communication parameter request-command being any command to the home appliance other than the regular command,
 acquire the communication parameter stored in the storage, and 
 send from the home appliance to the control device a communication parameter response-command containing the acquired communication parameter as a communication specification appropriate for the home appliance. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The home appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the response time learner is further configured to learn the response time per piece of content in the regular command, and to save to the storage each response time, as the communication parameter corresponding to the each piece of content indicated by the regular command. 
     
     
       3. A communication system comprising:
 a control device; and 
 the home appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 upon receipt from the home appliance of the communication parameter, the control device determines, based on the communication parameter, a specification for communication with the home appliance. 
 
     
     
       4. The home appliance according to  claim 1 , the home appliance being an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a television, an induction heating cooker, a rice cooker, a microwave oven, a water heater, or a floor-heating system. 
     
     
       5. A communication adapter for connecting with a home appliance, the communication adapter comprising:
 a processor configured to
 responsive to each time a control instruction corresponding to a regular command is sent via the communication adapter to the home appliance, that causes the home appliance to execute, at the home appliance, a processing corresponding to a home appliance operation state change or a home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command to the home appliance, 
 learn, at the communication adapter, a response time, in parallel with the processing, corresponding to the home appliance, by measuring an amount of time that elapses from when the control instruction is sent from the communication adapter to the home appliance until a response to the control instruction returns from the home appliance to the communication adapter indicating that the home appliance has executed the processing corresponding to the home appliance operation state change or the home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command, and save the response time, as a communication parameter for determining by a control device a specification for communication with the home appliance, to a storage; and 
 upon receipt at the communication adapter from the control device of a communication parameter request-command, wherein the communication parameter request-command is any command to the home appliance other than the regular command,
 acquire the communication parameter stored in the storage, and 
 send from the communication adapter to the control device a communication parameter response-command containing the acquired communication parameter, which is stored in the storage as a communication specification appropriate for the home appliance. 
 
 
 
     
     
       6. The communication adapter according to  claim 5 , the communication adapter being configured to electrically connect to the home appliance through a standardized serial communication interface, the home appliance being an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a television, an induction heating cooker, a rice cooker, a microwave oven, a water heater, or a floor-heating system. 
     
     
       7. A communication parameter response method comprising:
 responsive to each time a regular command to a home appliance including a communication interface is received at the home appliance from a control device,
 executing, at the home appliance, a processing corresponding to a home appliance operation state change or a home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command to the home appliance, 
 learning, by the home appliance, a response time corresponding to the home appliance by measuring, in parallel with the processing, an amount of time that elapses from when the regular command is received by the home appliance until a response corresponding to the regular command is completed by the home appliance indicating that the home appliance has executed the processing corresponding to the home appliance operation state change or the home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command, and saving, by the home appliance, the response time as the communication parameter to a storage; and 
 
 upon receipt by the home appliance from the control device of a communication parameter request-command, the communication parameter request-command being any command to the home appliance other than the regular command,
 acquiring the communication parameter stored in the storage, and 
 sending from the home appliance to the control device a communication parameter response-command containing the acquired communication parameter as a communication specification appropriate for the home appliance. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The communication parameter response method according to  claim 7 , the home appliance being an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a television, an induction heating cooker, a rice cooker, a microwave oven, a water heater, or a floor-heating system. 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program configured to cause a home appliance including a communication interface to function as:
 responsive to each time a regular command to a home appliance including a communication interface is received at the home appliance from a control device,
 executing, at the home appliance, a processing corresponding to a home appliance operation state change or a home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command to the home appliance, 
 learning, by the home appliance, a response time corresponding to the home appliance by measuring, in parallel with the processing, an amount of time that elapses from when a regular command is received by the home appliance from the control device until a response corresponding to the regular command is completed by the home appliance indicating that the home appliance has executed the processing corresponding to the home appliance operation state change or the home appliance operation state acquisition indicated in the regular command, and saving the response time as the communication parameter to a storage; and 
 
 upon receipt by the home appliance from the control device of a communication parameter request-command, the communication parameter request-command being any command to the home appliance other than the regular command,
 acquiring the communication parameter stored in the storage, and 
 sending from the home appliance to the control device a communication parameter response-command containing the acquired communication parameter as a communication specification appropriate for the home appliance. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to  claim 9 , the home appliance being an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a television, an induction heating cooker, a rice cooker, a microwave oven, a water heater, or a floor-heating system.